New PSA barrel...these rings on barrel normal?

[wild cat mccane]

Variation between two like products is a production deviation that customers shouldnt expect though...

[Scorch]

Production drawings (blueprints, if you please, but no one uses real blueprints anymore) specify surface finish. Production equipment is set up to meet those specs, and spending time and money trying to do it any better is generally frowned upon. When you are making parts on machinery that costs millions of dollars, you want to keep the rate up as high as possible. Most production equipment is CNC anymore, so no human is involved other than putting the pieces into a feeder and removing them, no opportunity to go over the parts to "pretty them up". If you require a prettier exterio finish, you'll have to pay for it. And in the case of rifle barrels, that money is best spent on the inside rather than the outside of the barrel.

[wild cat mccane]

PSA sells blemish though. This is not a fine finish.


I get your point, but just because it is rough doesn’t make it good either.

[HiBC]

When we were talking bolt action gunsmithing, outfits like Douglas barrels would sell you "Profiled,rough turned" or "Profiled,finish turned and polished"

Smiths had their own reasons for choosing.

[JohnKSa]

It's normal. It's not blemished. I've seen it on lots of barrels from various maker

If this was a high-end product, you might get some traction arguing with the seller that it should have been polished to a smoother finish. You will get zero traction trying to claim that it's blemished. It is absolutely not blemished, it's just not finished as finely as it could be.

It will have absolutely no effect on functionality.

This will come across as snarky, but that's not how I intend it. I don't think that you should be buying from places like PSA that are primarily price-point oriented. There are high-end makers out there and I think you would be much happier with that kind of product.

[ocharry]

i agree with HiBC and others that are talking feeds and speeds

the name of the game is rip it off...rev it up and throw the feed to it...my guess is that blank got two roughs at say .150,maybe only one rough and finish pass of maybe .060 (carbide dont do well without tool pressure) and the operator/machinist put another blank in and pushed the go button...or it could be a feeder set up and it (the machine, more than likely a 5 or 6 axis turning milling center) just keeps making barrels till the operator pushes the stop button

does it hurt anything....nope...just cosmetic

or maybe, just maybe that finish was put on there for a reason...like it needs to be a little rough to take the final finish...may save a sand blast step. kinda like when you parkerize, it needs to be rough for the chemicals to work and get the finish that is wanted....this is just a thought, but could be

well thats my .02

ocharry

[Barr]

Final lathe pass feeds / speeds is your answer.

Read the post about the HSS cutting tool vs a carbide radius insert w chip breaker. That response is spot on and combined w a required surface finish per drawing. A < 32 microinch finish is what an American consumer would expect, the military or budget consumer would accept a 63 or 125 microinch finish.

FWIW, Soviet Mosin’s have that finish if not worse. 10 years ago machine time was $100 / hr but is now likely $120-140 / hr.

Simple tool room lathe example is a 16 inch carbine barrel. 660 rpm at 0.003” / rev is an 8.1 min pass, even at 900 rpm is a 5.9 min pass. A standard pass of 0.015” / rev at 660 rpm vs 900 rpm is a 1.6 min or 1.2 min pass respectively. Saving 6 mins per barrel would decrease cost $10-20 a barrel. Now double or triple that for an auto production machine.

[Ricklin]

That is not a defect, it's a feature! Several posters hit the nail on the head, speeds and feeds. All about the Benjamins.

[wild cat mccane]

Sent it back. Probably cosmetic, but also noticed the crush washer on the flash hider was way askew.

Hope someone else enjoys it. Hopefully everyone is right that cosmetic defects actually improve shot placement

[rickyrick]

If someone isn’t pleased with a rifle then that could effect how you shoot.
Most people shoot for pleasure.

[jetinteriorguy]

So, just out of curiosity. Did you ever shoot it? If so, how did it shoot?

[wild cat mccane]

No. Never did. They said it was a blem and offered 30 store credit or to take it back. I think the crush washer is in the pic too.

i have on order an aero atlas s one. But i
t is from opticsplanet and i am 3 weeks into waiting for ship.

the psa atlas s one copy also wasnt that great. The aero has a low profile tube so the handguard is way smaller.

overall didnt like the psa for everything compared to the aero i just got in wylde. So going with them for only a hundred more.

[jetinteriorguy]

I have an AERO complete rifle and it’s a very good rifle. The only observation I’d add in my case is this. It’s a Ballistic Advantage, stainless, .223Wylde, 1/8 twist 18” barrel. When new it was a solid MOA shooter, but with a specific load was a solid 3/4MOA rifle. As I shot the rifle more, it became more accurate and shaved about 1/8MOA off these statistics. With my setup it’s a bit on the heavy side, but being a range toy it doesn’t bother me.

[wild cat mccane]

Just got a new Aero Atlas S-One 15" hand-guard 16" barrel 5.56 delivered.

Will post up observations. Hopefully not the same ch issues I had with my Aero Wylde barrels (2).

[Skans]

I used to see machining rings on barrels like this on Chinese AK's. Just lack of finishing, that's all.

[wild cat mccane]

Kept the new Aero barrel....

but also reordered the same SKU that started this thread.

It came yesterday. Totally different look to it. No rings, but also the PSA markings are laser etched long wise across the barrel instead of hammered into the barrel like you all see in my first post.

Some in a short span of time that can't account for change, I was sent two totally different types of barrels for the same item.

Flash hider is also not put on by a mad employee on friday this time too.

I am keeping this new PSA barrel and the Aero.

Thanks all.

[JohnKSa]

Makes me think that PSA is not making barrels, they're buying them from other makers. Sounds like you got barrels from two different makers.